


Our Nights Become Theirs

by Eggsyobsessed, Snafu07



Series: The Mycroft-Unwin Chronicles [3]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Adopted Children, Adoption, Babies, Children, Cute Kids, Decisions, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family, Family Feels, M/M, Nighttime, Tired Eggsy Unwin, discussions, fostering, tired Merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25658698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eggsyobsessed/pseuds/Eggsyobsessed, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snafu07/pseuds/Snafu07
Summary: Merlin and Eggsy have gone through the foster program, completed all classes and are finally assigned their first case. Except one child, like they agreed on, they are presented with 18 month old twin boys and a 3 week old newborn baby girl. Who, their case worker believes, could use the love and care, only Merlin and Eggsy can provide.Three nights into their new lives, Merlin and Eggsy quickly realize their lives would be empty without these three little loves. Even if they’re so tired, they don’t even know their names.Midnight feedings are had, and big decisions are made. Their life will never be the same after this.
Relationships: Merlin/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin
Series: The Mycroft-Unwin Chronicles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711801
Comments: 12
Kudos: 31





	Our Nights Become Theirs

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Eggsyobsessed here to bring you part three in our Mycroft-Unwin Chronicles series! 
> 
> It’s packed with a sleepless night, cute kids and big life changing decisions! But Merlin and Eggsy have never felt so sure of something in their lives. We hope you enjoy, and continue to stick around for more fun and loving moments between these two and their small brood!

December, 2022

“So, how much bullshit are we calling that the social worker said we were the best suited couple for this?” Eggsy asked Merlin, as he walked around the room, bouncing the newborn around. She was just three weeks old and had the loudest cry Eggsy had ever heard. 

After months of classes, dozens of inspections, and many sleepless nights, Eggsy and Merlin had qualified as foster parents. They had opted out of emergency fostering, hoping to be a permanent placement for a child. Especially if that child could end up being one they could adopt. They had made quick friends with Claudine, their social worker at the foster care office. Through months of answering the millions of questions they had and preparing them for as many contingencies they all could think of, they really felt like they had gotten to know one and other. That she had really gotten to know their hopes and dreams for being foster parents.

Which is why it was a bit of a surprise when she had called them four days ago and told them she finally had a placement for them. It was three children, they had only ever planned for a single child. The two boys were twins, Leo and Zachary, and they were 18 months old. Their baby sister, Gemma, was 3 weeks old. They were all in foster care because for one, when their mother arrived at the hospital to give birth to Gemma, she had left the two boys at home in their apartment. They were luckily discovered quickly when the one twin, Leo had managed to escape the playpen they were left in and gotten to their front window, banging and screaming until someone had called the police. And for two, she had tested positive for crack cocaine. Upon finding out the father of all three children had recently been incarcerated for drug related manslaughter, and the mother’s willingness to sign over all parental rights to the system there and then… the 3 children had been taken into the foster care system.

The boys were a little small for their age, a tad underfed. They didn’t talk much, except to babble to one another and preferred to be with each other always. It was obvious the mother had actually tried with the two of them, perhaps until she had gotten pregnant with their sister.

Gemma wasn’t as lucky. She was born 2 weeks early, only 5 pounds and clearly suffering the effects of the drugs her mother had been taking. She had spent her first 2 and a half weeks in the NICU until being released to join her brothers in foster care. She was going to need extra care, lots of skin to skin contact, and patience with her feeding and sleeping needs.

And for some reason, case worker Claudine had thought Eggsy and Merlin would be the perfect choice for this little girl. 

She had thought they’d be the perfect choice for all three children. 

They had been quick to remind her that they had planned to only foster one child. And she had told them, that of course that was fine, they could just foster Gemma. But after all these children had been through, did they really want to see them separated?

Of course Eggsy and Merlin had fallen for it. And three days later? They were struggling to get to know the babies, to discover what they needed, how to give it to them, and to establish some sort of routine for them. They had next to no sleep as the children adjusted to the new place and they adjusted to the children.

It was starting to make them punchy.

Merlin watched his husband pace with the precious little bundle tucked in his arms. He itched to rise from his seat and take his turn. “I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

“Wot?” Eggsy stopped to stare at his husband. “She’s barely slept a wink. It’s her third night here and I can feel how my sanity checked out when we signed those papers.” 

He ignored Merlin and kept pacing. He added a rock and a soft bounce to his step, as he walked the length of their sitting room. Thank heavens the twins were sleeping. If they had decided to pull an all-nighter as well, Eggsy would need to make a trip to the office just to kip on the sofa. He and Merlin were off for the next month on parental leave. They were of course granted the 26 weeks that all new fathers were but with their jobs, it really wasn’t feasible for the two of them to actually take that time off consecutively, together. The agency had been able to pull in and offer them a month. But once that month was up? They had to find a way to make it work with alternating days off and working from home.

They had always known a nanny was going to be part of their lives, but they didn’t have her scheduled to start until the lot of them had truly formed some kind of bond. Merlin and Eggsy weren’t comfortable leaving children until then. 

Merlin stood up and took the squalling newborn out of Eggsy’s arms. He kissed the man’s cheek and offered him an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry my love. I’ll be honest, I was not completely focused on what ye were saying. I only had ears for this wee bairn.”

He continued the path Eggsy had been walking while murmuring nonsense in his soft brogue. “The boys settled a little easier tonight, don’t ye think?”

“I think they did, yeah.” Eggsy agreed, keeping a watchful eye on his husband and baby. He wandered to the couch and sagged against the smooth fabric. “You think we’re fucking up?”

Merlin chuckled softly and changed up his gait in hopes that it might be the thing that soothed little Gemma. “Oh I’m sure we are fecking it up somehow.”

Eggsy sighed tiredly as he cradled his head. “I’m so fucking tired.” 

Merlin placed a kiss on the top of Eggsy’s head. “Go sleep. I’ll make a bottle for the bairn.”

“Nah. Can’t let you do all that. Need more sleep than I do, yeah?” He smiled up cheekily. 

Merlin sighed. “How many years and ye still don’t listen to me?” He tucked the baby in close with one arm and held out his other to heave Eggsy off the couch. “Fer the best. Ye need to show me again how to make the formula.”

Eggsy smiled fondly as he leaned into his husband. “In my 30’s now, ain’t gotta listen too much.” He shuffled into the kitchen, flicked a few lights on, and wandered to the cupboard that held all of Gemma’s supplies. He was dramatically slow to display what he did, how warm the water was, how many scoops for a specific number of ounces. 

“Just screw the top, hold a finger over the opening on the nipple and give it a shake. Like this.” He demonstrated for Merlin and let his finger off the hole, but faced the sink as to not spray formula everywhere. He learned that the hard way. “There.” 

Merlin jotted down a few notes during the exhibition. “I’m sure I can make something that would make this more efficient...” He mumbled to himself as he watched Eggsy work. “Didn’t the lady say something about the bubbles after you shake it? Something about her stomach?”

Eggsy pursed his lips. “Maybe? I don’t know? Memory a bit shot and all, what with maybe two hours of sleep in the past three days?” 

“Here, hold Gemma, I’m going to look it up.” Merlin held out the baby. “And stop whining.”

Eggsy stuck his tongue out as he accepted the crying bundle. She wasn’t as loud as before, just an octave quieter, but still had his ears ringing. “I’m allowed to whine. We decided to become parents and just like that, flash, gone were the next… however many years of sleep.” 

Merlin typed away at his phone, scrolling and searching at lightning speeds. “Not the time to point out I agreed to one bairn, is it?” They’d only signed up to accept one child at a time, but the minute Eggsy heard the story behind the three siblings? That was shot to hell. 

Eggsy tapped Gemma’s bum and rocked her a bit; it seemed to work. “No. Now would not be the time,” he agreed mildly. He felt her relax in his arms and prayed maybe she’d fall asleep, which would grant them the opportunity to catch a few zzz’s. Eggsy held onto some hope, until it was shattered when he heard one of the twins whimper and cry through the monitor. 

“This is my life now.” Eggsy whispered, it was a plea, up to the ceiling. The cry was distinctive, already Eggsy recognized it as Zachary. 

“Feck.” Merlin cursed, having to put away his phone in the middle of an interesting article about colic. “Do ye want me to hold her or get him? Or group effort?”

Gemma worked back up to full volume in response to her brother, and Eggsy would rather not risk waking Leo. 

“Can you get him? Don’t wanna wake Leo too. I don’t know if I have enough arms, let alone willpower, for that.” Or sanity. Eggsy was pretty sure that had checked out the moment the caseworker arrived at their door, three little ones in tow. 

“On it.” Merlin agreed before taking the stairs lightly up to their guest room, which was currently holding two portable cribs for the twin boys. Zachary was standing up in his; working himself up to his own state. While Leo started to stir, popping his little blond curly head of hair up. 

“Oh lad.” Merlin said softly, going to pick up the boy, hoping Leo would settle back in to sleep. That was for dreamers, though, because as soon as the other twin spotted his brother being held? Leo started to fuss as well. 

Eggsy caved and fed Gemma the bottle, unwilling to wait for his husband’s opinion on bubbles; she was going to cause him to go deaf. “Is he hungry too?” He wondered as Gemma had half her bottle gone. 

Merlin bounced the two in his arms. “Wet I think, but Leo didn’t want to be left out.” 

And it appeared so as he deposited the sleepy toddler on the sofa beside him. “Do you want to switch off? Don’t mind changing his bum.” Eggsy offered, even as he scooped Leo into his side, somehow still managing to feed Gemma; the things you adapted to when it came to children. 

“No, I’ve got him. Thank ye though.” Merlin replied as he brought the toddler over to the makeshift changing station they had set up in their lounge. “She looks almost content snuggled in with ye there love.”

Eggsy stole a glance at the seemingly content babe, who sucked with all her might having almost drained the bottle, her eyes sated and soft as she seemed to drift a bit.

“She does, don’t she?” He started to hum a bit. 

Eggsy was trying, desperately, to find anything that would soothe the babies. All of them similar, yet so unique, and each had different needs at odd times. He was tired, just so exhausted. But watching Gemma feed, her little hand held his pinky finger securely, looking up at him with complete trust—or as much trust a 3 week old could have—Eggsy was in love. He could honestly say more so than the day he married his soulmate. That wasn’t to say he didn’t love Merlin with every fiber of his being, but he never imagined loving another more.

“We’ll be okay, yeah? Happy? We’re happy?” He asked. A moment of panic rushed through him, as if they could fuck up these kids within the time frame they had them. 

Merlin juggled the wet nappy, a squirming baby, and wipes. “We’ll be okay.”He got a dry nappy on Zachary and zipped him back into his Jim jams. Armed with the boy’s blanket, stuffie, and dummy, Merlin sat the two of them down next to Eggsy, Leo and the wee lass. “And I pray daily we will keep them happy and healthy. Just as I pray I can keep ye happy.”

Eggsy smiled and leaned in for a kiss. “You keep me happy every day, Hamish. Don’t want you thinking otherwise.” He sagged back to place Gemma over his shoulder and gave her back a few pats until she let out a small burp. As he situated her back into the crook of his arm, he produced a dummy out of his pocket, and gave it a few taps at her mouth as she settled into her milk coma. “We did a good thing though, right? I just hope they don’t hate us 20 years from now.” His words depicted one who would raise the children until adulthood, when in reality, they had no idea how little or long they had them. The thought turned his stomach. 

Merlin arranged Zachary in his arms, and made a grab for the other 18 month old who was nearly asleep. Holding the twins was quite different than holding Gemma. He had big eyes staring up at him and could not help but make a goofy face at the boy hoping for a smile. He did get a quirk of the lips around the dummy and took it as a success. He let Zachary clutch his elephant stuffie, as he covered him the twins with a blanket. “I wish I could say for sure. But I do agree separating siblings does feel wrong.”

“I think we did good. I hope we did good.” Eggsy repeated, not sure what else to say. At least he could savor them right now, hopeful their time here made a difference. With a soft sigh, Eggsy tipped his face to watch Zach and Leo. Zach had eyes for Merlin, his big green eyes wide with sleep looking far away. “I mean, I’m questioning how well we did since I feel like the walking dead, but I hope we are giving them a good life.” 

“They will be fed good, healthy food. Clothed appropriately at all times for weather, age, and circumstance. There will be a roof over their heads that will keep them warm and dry, while offering them their own little spaces in this world. And there will be at least two loving adults who will always be there to listen, assist, guide, and reassure growing minds and hearts.” Merlin looked over from where he had been stroking a soft cheek to look at his husband. Both men had their experiences in life where they weren’t granted those simple necessities as children. “We cannot promise perfect, but we can promise that.”

“I don’t want perfect, I want ours. What we’ll make. All of our mistakes, all of the happy memories we’ll create.” His gaze shifted from Leo to Zachary, and rested on Gemma, who had finally fallen asleep while holding onto his finger. “I want to watch them grow,” he whispered. Finally speaking his own desires out loud. 

They had agreed on foster, a temporary long-term home for children, but right then realized he didn’t want to let them go. The last three days solidified everything for him, and any chance they’d be taken away broke Eggsy’s heart. 

As Merlin digested what Eggsy said, he knew then that these babies would be more than just fosters. They would become theirs legally, officially. In their hearts and minds. And through the court. “Then we shall.”

Eggsy looked up with watery eyes. They were foster-to-adopt children, but they had the option to say no, and just keep them until they rectified permanent placement. “You mean that? The whole thing? Footie games, dance recitals, holding them when they lose a friend. Keeping bad dreams away and being their safe house? You want that?” 

Merlin leaned over to nose Eggsy’s ear. “I never knew I wanted this until I saw it through your eyes. Now if someone were to come in here and try to take these babies out of my arms, I would use every skill in my arsenal to keep him right where he belongs.”

Eggsy turned into Merlin, and stole a tender, swift kiss. “We’ll make good dads. They won’t know any fear, always be safe.” 

“You’ll be a good dad, I’ll be too strict. The one they tattle on each other to.” Merlin froze for a moment, something dawning. “What do you want them to call you?”

“Daddy?” He shrugged. “Didn’t think a lot on it. Thought we weren’t keeping them, you know?” Eggsy reached out to rub a soothing palm along Merlin’s arm. “You’re gonna be a great father, and when they’re older having their own kids? They’ll be grateful you kept them in line. I’ll be too soft.” 

“Daddy is perfect for you. Your soft will play off my hard. Yin and yang.” A river of panic flowed down Merlin. He was already a grandparent age. Would he even see these kids graduate? “Should we keep them? I’m too old. What if I can’t...” he choked, unable to finish the awful thought.

“Hamish, don’t finish that sentence, just don’t.” Eggsy warned in a harsh whisper as to not disrupt the two babes, who slept unbeknownst to the new angst in the room.

“You’re 52. I know it’s older, but you’ll be here for a bit, yeah? You ain’t allowed to leave me, leave us, for at LEAST 30 more years. You got that? And you’ll go to every doctor appointment, get everything checked like you should, and they’ll keep you young. You’ll be there for the most important milestones. Bet you even see them have a wee babe of their own.” He pressed his face into Merlin’s neck, attempting all efforts to will his tears to cease. “You’ll be here. No silly talk.” 

Merlin shook with emotion. He pressed kisses into the head at his neck. “I’m sorry.” He whispered. “I’m scared.”

Eggsy nodded with understanding. “We don’t have to keep them, if you don’t want to,” he replied quietly. Even if that was the opposite of what HE wanted. Before they started classes, back when they met Merlin’s great nephew, they agreed to listen to one another and not force this on the other. 

“They’re not taking these babies from us.” Merlin replied with conviction.

Eggsy snickered a bit. “Okay. Then stop being ridiculous. We are these babies fathers, alright?” 

“I’m sorry.” Merlin said weakly. He was not used to feeling this torn open and exposed over something a week ago he would have said he didn’t want.

Eggsy shifted so that he could cup Merlin’s cheek with his free hand and forced their eyes to meet. “Look at me,” he demanded. “Don’t be sorry. This is going to be hard on both of us, and we need to communicate. I don’t want you feeling like you’ll miss out on things, or that life will take you too early. We do our best to ensure you’re healthy and keep you with us as long as we can, okay?”

Merlin leaned into Eggsy. “I love you.” He kissed Eggsy’s palm. “I promise. We’ll take care of each other so we can take care of them.”

Eggsy tipped in for a quick kiss. “I love you too, babe.”

Merlin further nuzzled Eggsy’s palm. “Do you think they would call me Athair?”

Eggsy pulled back, a little puzzled by the name Merlin suggested. “What does that mean, love?” 

“Athair means dad in Scottish Gaelic. I always loved the sound of it.”

“That is lovely sounding, and if it’s what you want them to call you? Well we’ll just teach them, right?” Eggsy rocked Gemma a bit and began to hum in a soothing register. She had begun to whimper in her sleep. 

“Look at us, kissing on the couch, holding sleeping babies. Who would have thought when we first met this is where we would end up?” Merlin smiled at the picture the two of them made. 

Eggsy’s chest filled with a warm, soft feeling as he looked over them. All three little babes they had taken in, and just now decided they would keep forever. He never imagined such a thing. Eggsy always wanted kids, always yearned to create a family, and give a child what he had never had. “At first I would say maybe, but as time went on and we kept deciding against it? No. But I’m glad we are, and I’m glad we are doing this. Always sort of wanted a family to give what I never had as a kid.” He smiled up at Merlin, it was a small, tired thing, but he was happy.

“There’s no one better to give these kids everything than you. Yer uniquely qualified for when they have questions about what happened to their birth parents.” Merlin picked his cell phone back up and opened up a few more tabs. Besides colic, he needed to know so many things. Doctors, specialists, therapists. “We’re going to need a pediatrician. And we only have the one spare room. Should we look for a bigger house?”

“Hamish.” Eggsy whispered quietly as he shifted Gemma so he could curl closer against Merlin’s side, careful not to jostle one of the boys. “These kids will get everything because WE will give it to them, not just me. But yeah, I can kinda handle ‘the what happened to the birth parents’ talk bit a little better. What with your Mum and Da still alive and well. Speaking of, your Mum will likely castrate you if you don’t tell her she’s a grandmother again.” He pondered that a bit as his own anxiety began to climb. “Gotta tell my mum too, bloody hell.” Everyone knew they were looking to be foster parents, but no conversations about adoption were brought to the table. Not that their parents wouldn’t be over the moon. Eggsy shook his head, “Right. Doctor for the kids, and yeah...yeah we are gonna need a bigger place.” His eyes zeroed in on the two desks that were moved from the office to accommodate the kids. “Much bigger,” he mused. 

Merlin put his phone down. “We could have a party to introduce everyone?”

Eggsy hummed thoughtfully with his eyes closed. The tiny snores were like a lullaby for him, completely soothing. “We get a bigger house, have a makeshift housewarming and sorta kinda baby shower. That way everyone can see our new home and our new family at the same time.” 

“I think that’s a brilliant idea.” Merlin agreed. “I’ll start compiling a list of suitable Kingsman approved houses for us to look at. Is there an area you’d like me to concentrate on?”

“We have three wee ones now. A place where we’d have a big garden, maybe a bit of land for the kids to run about. Quiet. Maybe a little outside of the city. I don’t mind commuting if it means a suitable home for the babies.” 

“Somewhere big enough to teach the kids to play footie?” Merlin asked hopefully.

Eggsy rolled his eyes. “Yeah. You can teach them footie, but do they have to learn the crazy ways of your Arsenal obsession?” 

“Only if they want their allowance.” Merlin winked. “You think they’d like gymnastics lessons too?”

Eggsy perked up a bit at that. “Hope so. We got three of them, yeah? No reason one can’t love footie, one gymnastics, and maybe we get a dancer in there too. Or they could hate everything we offer and maybe wanna play an instrument.” He shrugged. “All we can do is offer and give them opportunities. Want them to have everything I didn’t.” 

“Oh my love, they will, they will. What do you say I put these guys back into their cribs. We can try laying her down in the bassinet in our room and I can hold you for a little while in bed, while we try to get some shut eye?”

“Yeah. Let’s do that. I’m pretty sure I’ll fall asleep within minutes of entering your arms,” Eggsy managed around a big, jaw cracking yawn. 

“I hope so. You look knackered.”

“Gee, thanks.” He replied dryly and heaved to stand. “I feel like garbage,” Eggsy grumbled and headed down the hall towards their room. He could hear Merlin follow and split off to place Zachary and Leo in bed. Eggsy got Gemma in the bassinet and watched her for a few moments to be sure she’d stay asleep, before venturing to take a piss. 

“Ugh,” he groaned. The bed was so soft and comfortable as it took the shape of his body. 

Merlin took care of his own ablutions before joining Eggsy in bed. As promised he gathered his husband in his arms, becoming the big spoon. “You know I was kidding.” He whispered before kissing the back of Eggsy’s neck.

Eggsy hugged the strong arms close and shimmied back until there was little space between them. “It’s okay. I do look knackered. Exhaustion wears on my face,” he murmured. “We gotta call the social worker in the morning.” 

Merlin hummed in pleasure, snuffling the neck he had just kissed. “Everything shows clear on your face. It’s one of the ways I always know what your clever mind is up to... And why we assign you the least NLP assignments out of the agents.” He chuckled at his own joke. “We better call Harry as well and make sure we can get more time off.”

A small shiver went up his spine with the little gestures of endearment his husband bestowed on him. “I’m right dreadful at masking my emotions.” Eggsy didn’t mind, because honestly his ass belonged to only one man, and if he didn’t have to pretend to woo someone else, then he’s good. “Yeah. We should take the rest of next month too, you think? A lot of sorting to be done and we’re still getting a handle on the kids.” 

“I’m sure if we give Harry the reason, he’ll give us all the time we need.” Merlin started to feel sleep take him. “Is it wrong that part of me wants to tell him before I tell Ma and Da?”

Eggsy shrugged sleepily. “Nah. We tell who we want, babe. No reason they need to know he was abreast before them. But we kinda gotta tell him. He’s our boss, yeah?” 

“He’s yer boss, aye.” Merlin drifted further. “I’ll take first feeding.”

“Mmm.” That was the last thing Eggsy heard before he fell into a deep sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> You can find us on tumblr!
> 
> @snafu07  
> @stronglyobsessed (eggsyobsessed AO3)


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